Roland Martin Blames 'White Male Executives' for Never Getting His Own Show at CNN

March 29th, 2013 6:33 PM

Roland Martin on Thursday blamed racism for his inability to get his own show at CNN.

"You have largely white male executives who are not necessarily enamored with the idea of having strong, confident minorities, who say, ‘You know, I can do this,'" he told HuffPostLive.

"I am simply saying ‘give folks a shot,” he added. “We deliver, but we never get the big piece, the larger salary, to be able to get from here to there.”

Martin, whom it was reported last week has been axed by CNN, claimed in his interview with Marc Lamont Hill that he went to the network years ago thinking he would eventually get his own show.

In his view, whenever he substitute-hosted a program, the ratings would hold thereby demonstrating his ability to command such an important position long-term

This led Hill to ask, “Did you have a sense that CNN didn’t have a real place for a real black man in America?”

“Bernard Shaw left CNN as the top anchor how many years ago?” Martin responded. “Almost two decades?"

Actually, Shaw retired of his own volition in March 2001.

"So tell me, so who’s hosting a show?" Martin continued. "Who right now, who right now is in a position to get a primetime show? Who’s up there hosting specials?”

Well, Don Lemon has his own show. Up until December, T.J. Holmes also had his own show but left for BET.

As such, it seems a stretch to be blaming this on racism.